becker



(No Model.) 3 SheetsSheet 1.

, A. BECKER & A. MINSART. v MEANS FOR AUTOMATICALLY CONTROLLING THROTTLELEVERS 0F LOCOMOTIVES.

No. 592,623. Patented Oct. 26,1897.-

lai'inesses." 047M flak $4 w 5 (No Model.) 3SheetsShet 2. A. BECKER 8BA. MINSART. MEANS FOR AUTOMATICALLY.CONTROLLING THROTTLE LEVBRS OFLOCOMOTIVES.

No; 592,623. I Patented 001;. 26, 189-7.

urua. \iynsumm'on n c (N6 Model.) 7 3 SheetsSheet 3. A. BECKER 8: A.MI'NSART.

MEANS FORAUTOMATIUALLY CONTROLLING THROTTLE LEVERS OF LOCOMOTIVES.

No. 592,623. Pate t Oct. 26,1897.

I T W I IV I 9 -L J; R if R pl! l W I. 1'1 H- .i i!

- bl W1 w. i: Wibze-sses: it Q E/AV'A/ToAs;

' fl g ig-9% 4%a UNITED STAT S PATENT Prion.

AUGUSTE BECKER, oFsTnMBERT, AND ALPHONSE MINSART, or PEPINSTER, BELGIUM.

MEANS FOR AUTOMATICALLY CONTROLLING THROTTLE-LEVERS 0F LOCOMOTIVES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 592,623, dated October26,1897. Application filed June 22, 1897. Serial No. 642,007. (Nomodel.)

To a. whom it may concern.- Be it known that we, AUGUSTE BECKER,residing at Stembert, and ALPHONSE MINSART,

. residing at Pepinster, Belgium,citizens of Belgium, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Means for-AutomaticallyControlling the Throttle-Levers of Locomotives; and we do herebydeclarethe following to be a full, clear, and exact description of theinvention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, and to letters and numerals of reference markedthereon, which form a part of this specification.

The object of this invention is to provide means for automaticallyoperating the throttle-lever of a locomotive to thus stop the locomotiveat certain places on a track and thereby avoid accidents and collisions,of simple, strong, and durable construction, reliable in operation, andeasily controlled from one or more signal-towers, railway-crossinggates, &c.

The invention consists in the improved throttle-lever controlling andoperating mechanism arranged on the locomotive and cooperating with thesignal-controlled mechanism placed at certain intervals between thetracks and in the combination and arrangement of the various partsthereof, substantially as will be hereinafter more fully described, andfinally embodied in the clauses of the claim.

In the accompanying drawings, in which like letters and numerals ofreference indicate corresponding parts in each of the several views,Figure 1 is a side elevation of a locomotive provided with our improvedthrottlelever-operatin g mechanism and also illustrating in sideelevation the mechanism arranged between the tracks, only those parts ofthe 10- comotive and of the mechanism being shown which are necessary tofully illustrate the nature of our invention; Fig. 2, a detail frontelevation of the throttle-lever operating and controlling mechanism;Figs. 3, 4, and 5, enlarged detail views illustrating the cooperativearrangement of the fulcrumed track-lever and the throttle-controllinglever and also illustrating a modification of the device for liftingsaid fulcrumed track-lever, as will be hereinafter more fully described;Figs. 3 and 5 top plan views of Figs. 3 and 5, respectively, thethrottle-operating lever being removed; and Figs. 6 and 7, diagrammaticviews illustrating the arrangement of a series of track-leversinconnection with semaphores and signals, respectively.

In said drawings, A represents the throttlelever, mounted on the shaftD. On the latter is loosely arranged a disk 13, provided on its outerperiphery with a series of teeth adapted to engage a pinion L securelymounted on the parallel shaft E, which latter supports the drum L. Onthe drum L is wound a chain-H, passing over the antifriction-roller Hand provided at its free end with a weight P. A second chain H isconnected with the chain H and passes over a drum F mounted.

on the shaft F, which latter controls in any well-known manner theair-brake of the locomotive and train, and which, as not forming a partof our invention, is not illustrated in the drawings. I

The disk B is controlled by a pawl G, suit ably. fulcrumed, as at G andhaving its rearwardly-projecting arm pivotally connected with adownwardly-extending rod J, the lower end of which is suitably connectedwith the free end of a lever B", fulcrumed, as at R to a bracketprojecting downwardly from the platform of the locomotive. The disk B isalso provided with a rearwardly-projecting lug 0, adapted to engage thethrottle-lever A when the disk B, after being disengaged by the pawl G,is rotated in the direction of the arrow indicated in Fig. 2. Ahorizontallyarranged shaft N is suitably supported below the fulcrumedlever R and carries a cam 0, bearing on the under side of said lever.

On the shaft N is secured a bracket N on which is pivotally secured thedownwardlyextending arm M, adapted to be engaged by treadle-lever U,suitably fulcrumed, as at 1), within a box or chamber arranged in anexcavation between the tracks. Within said box or chamber is alsosuitably supported a shaft a, on which is mounted a cam or arm 61,preferably provided at its freeend with an antifriction-roller adaptedto engage the lever U and to thus elevate the same.

On the shaft 60 is also mounted a grooved pulley e, over which a chain1' passes, which latter is provided at one end with a weight R andhavingits other end connected by wires, rods, &c., with a signal-tower,railway-crossing gate, &c. On the shaft a is also arranged acounterweight h, adapted to assist the returning of the shaft a to itsnormal position when being operated through the chain 2'. If it isdesired to have the lever U controlled from more than one signal-tower,a series of pulleys e e e are loosely arranged on the shaft Ct. In thiscase each of the pulleys e e e is provided with an arm 0, adapted toengage a pin m or bridge m, extending from and secured on the shaft a.Said pulleys are controlled by chains 71 2' i provided with the weightsR R and connected with a series of signal towers placed at certainintervals alongside of the track.

WVhen the lever U is in normal position, as indicated in Fig. 3, thelocomotive going in the direction of the arrow S can continue in itspath without having its throttle-lever automatically shifted, thedownwardly-extending arm M passing over the said lever U.

In the view illustrated in Fig. 4c the lever U has been raised. Thetrain traveling in the direction of the arrow S will be stopped shortlyafter the arm M has been engaged and operated by the raised lever U.Said lever M turns the shaft N and the cam 0, carried thereby, whichlatter raises the fulcrurned lever R Through the arm J the pawl G isthrown out of engagement with the disk B, and the latter. will then berotated in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 2-by means of the pinion Lin turn operated through the weight P, acting upon the chain H, theprojection O on the disk B thereby engaging the throttle-lever A andshifting it from left to right, whereby the steam operating the pistonis shut off. Simultaneously the drum F is rotated and through theconnection above referred to throws the air-brake into operation. Afterthe throttle-lever A has been returned to operative positionthat is tosay, the 10- comotive is startedthe shaft E is operated by means of thecrank K until. said shaftpinion L and disk B have been returned to theirnormal positions, as will be manifest.

When the track is clear for a train to pass in the oppositedirectionthat is to say, as indicated by arrow S in Fig. 5-thedownwardly-extending arm M is not operated by the lever U. On account ofbeing fulcrumed on the bracket N carried by the shaft N, it is thrown toone side of said lever (by being engaged by the tapering end U) andpasses said lever U without turning or operating the shaft N.

In the diagrammatic view in Fig. 6 is illustrated the arrangement of aseries of treadlelevers on a single track, which latter are connectedwith and operated from a series of signal-towers placed on both sides ofthe track. The treadle-levers at a and 0 are connected with the signals2 5 and 3 and 6, while the treadle-levers at b and d are connected withthe signals 1 4 and 2 and 5. The signals 1, 2, and 3 control andindicate the right of way of trains running from A to B while thesignals 4, 5, and 6 control and indicate the right of way of trainsrunning in the direction from B to A As indicated in Fig. 6, the trackis supposed to be clear for a train starting from A but by mistake thesignal 6 was not properly set, presumably giving a train leaving B theright of way. Should such a train accidentally leave l3 and the engineershould not pay attention to the signal 3 on his right-hand side andwould go ahead with the train, the latter would be automatically stoppedby means of the treadlelever at 0 and the engineer would know at oncethat he had not the right of way on the track, which would leave himsuflicient time either to go back to B or flag the train coming from AOn the other hand, even if signal 6 would not be set rightthat is tosay, the treadle-lever at 0 would be in a raised position--the traincoming from A could c011- tinue its path without being stopped by saidtreadle-lever, as the downwardly-projecting arm M will pass the side ofsaid treadle-lever, as in Fig. 5, and thus will not be-operatcd thereby.In the diagrammatic view illustrated in Fig. 7 a series oftreadle-levers a b ,O and d are arranged on a single track terminatingat both ends in double tracks leading to stations A and B and areconnected through any well-known block system with signals 10, 30, 40,and 20, in a manner similar to that described in connection with Fig. 6.

It will be manifest that the arrangement of treadle-levers can be usedon a double track in substantially the same manner as on a single track.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination with the throttle-lever of a locomotive, and theshaft supporting the same, of a toothed disk loosely mounted on saidshaft and provided with a projection adapted to engage thethrottle-lever, a pinion engaging the teeth of said disk, a drumconnected with and adapted to operate said pinion, a weighted chain onsaid drum, a fulorumed pawl engaging one of the teeth in said disk, arod pivotallyconnected with said pawl, a fulcrumed lever suitablyconnected at its free end with the rod, a shaft, a cam on said shaft andengaging said lever, an arm journaled on said shaft and downwardlyprojecting therefrom, and means arranged between the track for operatingthe downwardly-extending arm, all said parts, substantially as and forthe purposes described.

2. The combination with the throttle-lever of a locomotive and the shaftsupporting the same, of a toothed disk loosely mounted on said shaft andprovided with a projection adapted to engage the throttle-lever, apinion to raise said treadle-lever, a shaft carrying said cam, a pulleyon said shaft and adapted to operate the same, and a weighted chain onsaid pulley and connected with one or more signal towers, all saidparts, substantially as and for the purposes described.

3. The combination with the throttle-lever of a locomotive and the shaftsupporting the same, of a toothed disk loosely mounted on said shaft andprovided with a projection adapted to engage the throttle-lever, apinion engaging the teeth of said disk, a drum connected with andadapted to operate said pinion, a weighted chain on said drum, afulcrumed pawl engaging one of the teeth in said disk, a rod pivotallyconnected with said pawl, a fulcrumed lever suitably connected at itsfree end with the rod, a shaft, a cam mounted on said shaft and engagingsaid lever, an arm journaled on said shaft and downwardly projectingtherefrom, a treadle-lever suitably fulcrumed between the track, a camadapted to operate said treadlelever, a shaft suitably supporting saidcam and provided with a projecting arm, a pulley loosely arranged onsaid shaft and also provided with a projecting arm adapted to engage theprojecting arm of said shaft, and a weighted chain on each of saidpulleys, substantially as and for the purposes described.

4. The combination with the throttle-lever of a locomotive and the shaftcarrying the same, and also with the shaft controlling the air-brakingmechanism, of a toothed disk mounted on the shaft of the throttle-leverand provided with a projection adapted to engage said throttle-lever, apinion meshing in to the teeth of the disk, a drum connected with andadapted to operate said pinion, 'a weighted chain on said drum, a secondchain connected with said weighted chain and passing over a drumarranged on the shaft controlling the air braking mechanism, a fulcrumedpawl in engagement with the disk, a rod pivotally connected with saidpawl, a fulcrumed l'ever controlling said rod, a cam in engagement withsaid fulcrumed lever, a shaft carrying said cam, an arm journaled onsaid shaft, and means arranged between the tracks for operating saiddownwardly eX- tending arm, all said parts, substantially as,

and for the purposes described.

5. The combination with the throttle-lever of a locomotive and the shaftcarrying the same, and also with the shaft controlling the air-brakingmechanism, of a toothed disk mounted on the shaft of the throttle-leverand provided with a projection adapted to engage said throttle-lever, apinion meshing into the teeth of the disk, a drum connected with andadapted to operate said pinion, a weighted chain on said drum, a secondchain connected with said weighted chain and passing over a drumarranged on the shaft controlling the air-braking mechanism, a fulcrumedpawl in engagement with the disk, a rod pivotally connected with saidpawl, a fulcrumed lever controlling said rod, a cam in engagement withsaid fulcrumed lever, a shaft carrying said cam, an arm journaled onsaid shaft, a treadle-lever suitably fulcrumed between the track, a camadapted to raise said treadle-lever, a shaft carrying said cam, a pulleyon said shaft and adapted to operate the same, and a weighted chain onsaid pulley and connected with one or more signal-towers, all saidparts, substantiallyas and for the purposes described.

In testimony whereof we have hereto set our hands in the presence of thetwo undersigned witnesses.

AUGUSTE BECKER. ALPHON SE MINSART. WVitnesses:

I. T. LEOoss, ARM. VIAME.

